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FLOSS Developer Survey Results Published 158

Posted by CmdrTaco from the actual-research?-you-gotta-be-kidding dept.
grex writes "The FLOSS (Free/Libre/Open Source Software) study from the University of Maastricht has published its final report. One of its five parts is the developer survey based basically on developers from the European Union. Results show that Debian is the preferred distribution, GNOME the desktop the majority choose and vi more popular than Emacs. But this survey also handles economic, law-related and motivation aspects among developers that make it very interesting to read."
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FLOSS Developer Survey Results Published More

FLOSS Developer Survey Results Published

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  • Heathens !

  • Gnome over KDE? (Score:5, Insightful)

    by zmalone ( 542264 ) <{wzm} {at} {pylae.com}> on Wednesday August 21, 2002 @02:43PM (#4113443) Homepage
    The difference between the two is only ~2%, in Gnomes favor. This out of of a group of a little over 2200, I don't know if I would consider that a large enough percentage to consider it to be anything other then a margin of error.
    • The difference between the two is only ~2%, in Gnomes favor. This out of of a group of a little over 2200, I don't know if I would consider that a large enough percentage to consider it to be anything other then a margin of error.

      Well, the statistical uncertainty on a sample of 2200 is sqrt(2200) which is approximately 47, and 2% of 2200 is 44, so we are talking about slightly less than a 1 sigma effect. So you're right, it's not statistically significant.

    • Yes, but how many of those KDE users use Gnome/Gtk apps every day, versus Gnome users who use KDE/qt apps every day?

      I think it's safe to say that Gnome/Gtk is more widely used when you take the apps into account.
      • How can you make that assumption? I know several Gnome users who make use of Konqueror as a web browser, in just one instance. The fact is, both desktops are inherently caught up in app sharing.. which is unfortunate because it does not make for the most coherent of user experiences.

  • Perhaps some can explain to me... (Score:3, Funny)

    by NOT-2-QUICK ( 114909 ) on Wednesday August 21, 2002 @02:46PM (#4113468) Homepage
    What exactly does Levi Spear Parmly (1790-1859) [about.com] - the inventor/developer of dental floss - have to do with open source software!

    Or then again, maybe I am just missing something... :-)

  • Oh god! (Score:1, Funny)

    by mmol_6453 ( 231450 )
    Oh GOD!

    I'm AVERAGE !

    noooooo!

  • Is this some kind of a joke?!?!? (Score:4, Funny)

    by FortKnox ( 169099 ) on Wednesday August 21, 2002 @02:48PM (#4113486) Homepage Journal
    In one day, we read:
    A review of Vim [slashdot.org] to get people primed for an editor war.
    Next, we read about Which is the better browser [slashdot.org], to get that war going.
    Now, we just put all our eggs in one basket for an all out flamewar that includes distros, editors, Window Managers, and even will bring up the euro vs. american flamewars.

    Sweet lord, people! Wonder why Linux is still having trouble competing with MS? Could it possibly be internal conflicts?

    • Re:Is this some kind of a joke?!?!? (Score:1, Funny)

      by Anonymous Coward
      America is better than Europe by far, by the way.
    • Wonder why Linux is still having trouble competing with MS? Could it possibly be internal conflicts?

      But our standards are good! We have so many to choose from!

      • But our standards are good! We have so many to choose from!
        Wisecrack, but a lot of truth in there.
        Many standards. Better odds of being able to find a good fit.
        The real payout comes from such as using KDE apps on a GNOME desktop and using GNOME apps on a KDE desktop. The BSDs running native LINUX binaries, sometimes better than under LINUX it seems some claim.
        Anybody particularly concerned by internal confilicts will be buying support from such as Red Hat, IBM or Sun.

  • Executive summary (Score:5, Funny)

    by tmark ( 230091 ) on Wednesday August 21, 2002 @02:50PM (#4113493)
    Results show that Debian is the preferred distribution, GNOME the desktop the majority choose and vi more popular than Emacs.

    So what you're saying is, these guys spent a ton of money to produce a giant troll ? Did they happen to say to whether Britney Spears is hotter than Shakira, or which Star Trek TV series was best ?

  • Patient: Doctor... I seem to have a problem with my teeth.
    Doctor: Yes, what is it?
    Patient: I have his nagging pain here, is there anything you can do?
    Doctor: Let me see... HOLY CRAP! (cough) Well uh... let me put it to you straight. You seem to have a Gnome [gnome.org] stuck inbetween your teeth. I'd get the FLOSS [infonomics.nl] out, but I don't think it'd help your problem. Perhaps we should knock your teeth out and replace them all with KDE bridges.

  • This is shit (Score:2, Insightful)

    by AdamInParadise ( 257888 )
    This study is shit. It was based on voluntary user input and it was heavily advertized on some hardcore Linux websites, so it isn't reprensentative at all. This explains vi vs. emacs, Gnome vs. KDE, Debian vs. the world...

    The industry produces seriously flawed studies. This goes to prove that the open-source world can too !
    • I have been using a slightly modified slogan alot recently. Usually in refrence to medical studies but it may be very applicable here...

      Lies, Damn Lies, Statistics, and Studies

    • Re:This is shit (Score:3, Insightful)

      by FreeLinux ( 555387 )
      As a report discussing the pros and cons as well as the adaptation of OPEN SOURCE SOFTWARE, where else would they get their data? You think that they should have gotten their report from Bill Gates?

      As for the input being from voluntary users; you think they should have rounded up a few thousand people off the street, at gun point, and asked their opinioin? You're not making sense.

      It is an excellent report, regardless of your stand on open source. It would have been better if they could have had a larger sampling but, this is not always possible due to time or budgetary constraints.

      • Every sampling method is skewed, even door-to-door canvassing. But Geez Louise! Trying to draw meaningful conclusions from a 100% self-selected sample is the epitome of anti-statistics.

        Next you're going to argue for the robustness of the Slashdot Poll, aren't you?
      • As for the input being from voluntary users; you think they should have rounded up a few thousand people off the street, at gun point, and asked their opinioin? You're not making sense.

        No, they should have picked a few people at random and offered significant incentives to get a good response rate (an entry into a raffle plus an explanation of why their contribution would be helpful might be sufficient).

        It is an excellent report, regardless of your stand on open source. It would have been better if they could have had a larger sampling but, this is not always possible due to time or budgetary constraints.

        No, increasing the size of the sample wouldn't have helped; if you work out the statistics, I suspect you'd find that the size of their sample was already much higher than necessary. It's the quality of the sample that counts. Subtle biases in the choice of people that responded (in this case, they were much more likely to get people that visited certain websites) cause inaccuracies that no increase in sample size would help.

        Consider two surveys of preferences on presidential candidates; survey A was based on interviewing 200 people chosen uniformly at random from the set of registered voters; survey B was based on interviewing 2000 attendees of a Democratic convention; which result will be more accurate? The biases created by the self-selecting sample in this case may be more subtle than that, but I can think of some (I'm sure you can too), and I suspect a survey based on a more carefully chosen sample would give very different results.

        --Bruce F.

  • Most free software developers have a girlfriend (Score:4, Funny)

    by Elladan ( 17598 ) on Wednesday August 21, 2002 @02:58PM (#4113559)

    It's true. Look at the study.

    Now, if we compare this to /., where approximately six people have a girlfriend, and half of them are girls, we must conclude that nobody on /. actually does anything useful.

    <G>

    • It's true. Look at the study.

      I have no point here, I just like saying "I could more easily believe that two Yankee professors would lie than that stones would fall from heaven." ;-)

      (In any case, I think that all that we have really discovered for certain is that "most people who responded to this survey and claimed to be free software developers also claimed to be male and to have a significant other".)

      ... we must conclude that nobody on /. actually does anything useful.

      Now that, I can't quibble with.

  • Let see a survey of mainly European developers prefer free software versus paying higher prices for import software (and hardware.) Geez this has been an reality for decades. Being I used to be a Marketing slime I'll throw in this was always a problem selling U.S. software outside the U.S. because of import costs. Also higher hardware costs outside the U.S. means they tend to run older hardware so they need software with less system requirements. Even more an issue in South America. So is anyone surprised that the results show a free OS that has less system requirements appeals to them. I'm suprised they felt they needed to do a survey to figure it out.

    Now they have good taste in editors vi rules! but poor taste in desktops. Gnome oh yuck, it is so five minutes ago.
  • It is obvious why open source isn't over taking the evil Microsoft empire .... look at the people that they surveyed for the answer:

    99% Males
    40% Single

    Hmmmmm .... Mainly single males .... maybe some of this stuff needs a women's touch (man, am I going to get flamed for saying that) ... but look at neopets.com. It is the most popular, free online game right now ... why???? Because women like it!!!!!!

    Back to the topic, I don't think that the sample of the population makes for a good survey ... it is skeewed towards software engineers. Where are the systems administrators and network administrators in that list?? I also didn't see that much in terms of University/public researchers .... they are the people that use this stuff!!! I think that the statistician that did this survey needs to go back to Probability & Statistics 101 ... and look at some of the fundemental rules for taking a survey.

    Debian as the favorite Linux distribution??? Gimme a break!

    Gnome?!?!?!?!?!?!?!

    I can't stop laughing!!!!

    These people must also work for Enron .... man can they skeew numbers!!!! (and I bet they're grant money was also listed as "soft money" ....)

  • ITS OFFICIAL! (Score:5, Funny)

    by Eric_Cartman_South_P ( 594330 ) on Wednesday August 21, 2002 @03:15PM (#4113682)
    Great! So it's official! Emacs sucks and vi is best!

    q

    Q

    :qq

    ;quit

    ;alt_ctrl_del

    ;F4

    ;sh!t how do I exit this post?

  • GNOME the desktop the majority choose

    Not to nitpick, but since when did 33% constitute a majority? FYI, Gnome leads the poll at 33%, with KDE closely behind with 30%.

    • Fifty percent doesn't necessarily make a majority in cases like this. Remember, GW Bush and Bill Clinton both won presidential elections with less than 50% of the vote.

      • Both Bush and Clinton won with a plurality, not a majority. Please pull out your dictionary.
        • They did both get a majority of electoral votes, which are the only ones that matter. Odd question, does anyone know what happens if no candidate gets a majority of electoral votes?
          • The House of Representatives has a vote to decide the election.
            • With the twist that each congressional delegation (all the representatives from a state) has 1 vote, e.g. all the Californian representatives would vote among themselves and then submit California's vote and so forth.
        • Ok - sorry if I used a bad analogy....

          But the point still stands. If there are more than two choices in a survey, then the most popular doesn't require a 50% share to 'win'. But then, you probably understood this to begin with. Right?

  • Christ (Score:1, Troll)

    by FreeLinux ( 555387 )
    They all suck hard.

    Debian over Red Hat?
    VI over Emacs?
    Gnome over KDE????

    These are the worst representations from the open source community. Didn't anyone tell the people of the EU that they are free and they do have a choice. Don't they know that they can choose from the much better options and the Open Source software is all about the freedom of choice? Those poor oppressed bastards are suffering under the worst of open source and they say they like it.

  • Flawed Survey (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Arandir ( 19206 ) on Wednesday August 21, 2002 @03:19PM (#4113722) Homepage Journal
    This survey consisted entirely of self-selected participants. The surveyors actually seemed to boast that they didn't select anyone themselves. This study is bogus and proves nothing.

    The staggering support for Debian (48%!) only proves that Debian developers are more successful in recruiting other Debian developers to participate in bogus online survey's. This isn't a dig against Debian, it's a dig against the silly methodology of this study.

    This survey, despite its seemingly thoroughness, is no more valid than the weekly Slashdot Poll. The only conclusion that can be drawn from this survey is that Debian, GNOME and vi users are more likely to participate in a self-selected survey than Redhat, SuSE, Mandrake, KDE and emacs users.
    • Read my response [slashdot.org] to the same argument on a similar comment.

      You can see here [infonomics.nl] where it was announced (there are more, but that's where I know of).

    • This survey, despite its seemingly thoroughness, is no more valid than the weekly Slashdot Poll.

      In fact, how can any poll claim any validity without including Cowboy Neal as an option?

  • Self-selected sample (Score:5, Insightful)

    by rubinson ( 207525 ) <rubinson @ e m a i l.arizona.edu> on Wednesday August 21, 2002 @03:21PM (#4113732) Homepage
    The problem with these results is that the sample was self-selected. Whoever wanted to respond to the survey could. So, these results don't tell us anything about the Free Software development community as a whole; rather it just tells us about those people who knew about the survey and chose to respond to it.

    Debian Weekly News comments on this in their latest issue [debian.org]:

    The FLOSS (see below) survey is finished and the results were posted. The most interesting bit is the number of Debian users among the participants, however, since we pointed out that survey, we may have contributed a little bit to the trend...

    • Re:Self-selected sample (Score:2, Informative)

      by grex ( 463032 )
      You can see here [infonomics.nl] where it has been announced. This are the weblogs and mailing lists I know of, there are sure multiple other sites and lists where this survey was announced.

      OTOH, if you have a look at other surveys (WIDI [berlios.de] -
      final report [tu-berlin.de]), you'll see that Debian is among developers the preferred distribution. WIDI was announced in Slashdot (main page), Heise.de and several other news sites that aren't related to the Debian project.

      • A quick check of WIDI shows that Debian gets a 26%. That's a far cry from the 48% this survey shows. As for the OSE study, Debian was one of their sample pools to start with, so of course it's going to be skewed in that direction.

  • Other survey results... (Score:5, Funny)

    by Bonker ( 243350 ) on Wednesday August 21, 2002 @03:23PM (#4113748)
    62.3% of Linux users have a (warezed) Windows 2000 partition so that they can play Warcraft III

    59.3% of Linux users prefer 'slender, young looking' anime babes to 'busty, voluptuous' anime babes.

    only 22.3% of Linux users really think Natalie Portman is all the good looking, even in tight white spandex. Most were just thankful that JarJar only got 2 scenes.

    93.2% of Linux users who read Slashdot have JonKatz permanently filtered.

    32.3% - Boxers
    44.1% - Tighty Whiteys
    22.3% - Flappin' in the wind, baby!

    62% of Linux users think that 'man' is a threatening name for a documentation application since it's vaguely homoerotic.

    58.3% of Linux users think that all polls about free software are orchestrated by Microsoft and are unwilling to trust the results, even if they are positive.

  • not a complete survey (Score:1, Funny)

    by Anonymous Coward
    They didn't count the results from Finnish users, otherwise you would have seen linux from scratch over debian, bash over gnome or kde and lynx over mozilla..
  • I'm surprised there isn't a troll posting "Emacs is dying" post like the "BSD is dying" posts.
  • I'd love to see a high quality survey of users and developers of free OSes like GNU/Linux and the BSDs. Something really detailed with tons of questions.

    It would be interesting to see the results. Of course, I have no idea how you would keep fraud for messing up the stats for such a thing.
  • FLOSS is not about the frivolous items discussed in the summary. The poll is only a small part of the study, which goes into great depth in the use and role of free software in companies and in government.

    It goes as far as recommending that EU states adopt legislation similar to the one proposed in Argentina, Perú, Colombia and others, mandating the use of free software in government for security reasons. Section 4.2

  • Majority? (Score:3, Insightful)

    by John Harrison ( 223649 ) <johnharrison@@@gmail...com> on Wednesday August 21, 2002 @05:08PM (#4114601) Homepage Journal
    GNOME the desktop the majority choose

    Gnome 32.52%
    KDE 30.05%
    Mac 2.3%
    Pure Text 8.37%
    Windows 3.56%
    Other 23.19%

    Since when is 32.52% a majority? This is less than one third, and certainly not more than half, which is waht was indicated by the summary. Of course, I am an idiot for expecting accuracy on /., right?

  • I really wish they had asked how people find time to develop open-source software. We couldn't expect completely honest answers, of course, but it's always interesting to see how many people not only do open-source work when they're supposed to be doing something else (e.g. paid work or study) but even admit that they do so. A similar question would be about what effects the expenditure of time on open-source projects has had on other aspects of people's lives - e.g. flunked out of school, got fired, lost a girlfriend, etc.

    I know that many do open-source work entirely on their own time (or get paid to do it) and manage to find a balance between that and other aspects of their lives. I don't mean to imply otherwise. I just think that any sociological study of open-source developers should pay at least some attention to this "darker side" in addition to the by-now-overdone philosophical and work-habit questions.

  • quantitatively!

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